Current Awareness Bulletin
4th – 10th April 2016
Welcome to the latest issue of the weekly Current Awareness Bulletin from the Library and Knowledge Services at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, forwarded by the Laxton Library. This bulletin provides a digest of information focusing on primary care and public health. If you are unable to access any of the internet links, or have improvements to suggest, please contact Liza Alderman ( )
News
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Contents
Cancer / ObesityNo items this week
Cardiovascular Disease / Offender & Prison Health
No items this week
Child & Adolescent Health / Older People
Communicable Diseases / Physical Activity
Commissioning / Primary Care
CQC Standards
No items this week / Respiratory Conditions (including COPD)
No items this week
Dental Services
No items this week / Safeguarding vulnerable adults
No items this week
Diabetes / Sexual Health
No items this week
Diet & Nutrition / Smoking & Tobacco
No items this week
Disabilities
No items this week / Social Care & Social Work
No items this week
Drugs & Alcohol / Stroke
No items this week
Evidence Updates
No items this week / Waiting Times
No items this week
Health Inequalities
No items this week / Women’s Services
Long Term Conditions
No items this week / Miscellaneous
Medicines / NICE
Mental Health
Cancer
Choir singing may boost immunity in people affected by cancer
"Being in a choir could help the body fight cancer by boosting the immune system," the Daily Mail reports.
Source: Behind the Headlines
Evaluation of the UCLH-Macmillan Partnership to deliver improvements in the care, treatment, support, and information to patients with cancer throughout their individual journeys
This evaluation produced by The University College London Hospitals NHS Trust—Macmillan Cancer Support partnershipaimed to assess the working of the partnership and its capacity to support the partners' plans to move forward through both quantitative and qualitative methods. The evaluation team aimed to approach the question of how the partnership was working from the perspectives of staff, volunteers, and senior strategic and operational managers. The evaluation also aimed to understand if, even at this early stage, there were perceptible changes in patient experience compared with comparable changes elsewhere in the NHS. Key findings were that: a) within broadly positive perceptions across the board there were important variations — with senior staff more positive and optimistic than front-line staff; b) there was a positive ambition, vision and expectation among leaders but this was not always communicated to the whole organisation; c) staff wanted to understand what the partnership meant in specific terms for their jobs and careers; d) there was strong support for strengthening learning through partnership working; and e) there was a danger that positive changes might be undercut by growing pressures on staff.
Source: RAND
See also Drugs & Alcohol section: / An investigation of public knowledge of the link between alcohol and cancerCardiovascular Disease
National Congenital Heart Disease Audit published by The National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR)
The National Congenital Heart Disease Audit has been published by The National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR) and shows very good outcomes for congenital heart surgical operations as well as improvements in antenatal detection of infant heart problems.
'Dying of heartache?' Heart problems linked to bereavement
"You can die of a broken heart, study indicates," The Guardian reports. The study found that people who lost a partner – especially if the death was unexpected – had an increased risk of developing an irregular heartbeat up to a year after the death.
Source: Behind the Headlines
Effects of vitamin D for heart failure far from 'stunning'
"Vitamin D can produce 'amazing' improvements in heart function," claims The Independentabout the results ofa recent study, while BBC News reported suggestions the results were "stunning".
Source: Behind the Headlines
See also Medicines section: / New drug 'effective' for those with intolerable statin side effectsSee also Diet & Nutrition section: / Fruit may be good for you, but don’t ditch the statins
Child & Adolescent Health
Local authorities role in public health: Briefing for the children and young people's voluntary sector
Local authorities' public health role also includes ensuring that there are plans in place to protect the local population from health threats, including plans for emergencies, preventative measures such as immunisations and screening and monitoring the plans individual providers have in place. They are also required to provide Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) with population health advice, for example supporting the development of joint strategic needs assessments.
Source: UK Health Forum
Young people caring for adults with dementia in England: Report on NCB's findings and internet research
In 2015, PHE asked NCB to produce this report on children and young people who provide regular and ongoing care and emotional support for a person living with dementia. The aim was to explore the limited available evidence about how caring for someone with dementia impacts on children and young people, and how the needs of this group can best be met. NCB conducted a survey aimed at practitioners and managers working in services for young carers, dementia carers and/or carers more generally. This was accompanied by internet-based research.
Source: UK Health Forum
Interventions for treating ankle fractures in children
Source: The Cochrane Library
Childhood Influenza Vaccination Pilot Programme, England 2014 To 2015: End Of Season Report
This document describes and reports on the cumulative uptake of influenza vaccine during the 2014 to 2015 pilot programme, with a focus on the results from the final end of season data submitted to PHE at school-level between March and April 2015.The school-level data returns presented in this report include additional analysis on consents, refusals, contraindications, and population level ecological predictors of vaccine uptake.
Source: Public Health England (PHE)/King’s Fund
See also Mental Health section: / Youth mental health: New economic evidenceCommissioning
Dementia advisers survey
A survey into the provision of dementia adviser services in clinical commissioning groups and local authorities in England.
Source: DoH
Sustainability And Transformation Plans: A Major New Development In Commissioning Health And Care
July 2016 sees the deadline for the production of Sustainability and Transformation Plans - joint plans produced by NHS providers, CCGs, Local Authorities, and other health and care services (including VCSE partners) for 44 ‘footprint’ geographical areas across England. These will form the basis for long term, place based planning and commissioning of services. This briefing provides more details and provides guidance on how to get involved in your area.
Source: Regional Voices/King’s Fund
NHS Population Screening: Submitting A Case For Shared Learning
This guidance explains how local programmes, providers and commissioners can share learning about NHS population screening programmes.
Source: PHE/King’s Fund
Communicable Diseases
Notifiable diseases: weekly report 2016
Source: PHE
Emerging infections: monthly summaries
Source: PHE
CQC Standards
No items this week
Dental Services
No items this week
Diabetes
Global Report On Diabetes
This report issues a call for action on diabetes, drawing attention to the need to step up prevention and treatment of the disease. It demonstrates that the number of adults living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults. Factors driving this dramatic rise include overweight and obesity.
Source: World Health Organization/King’s Fund
See also Women’s Services section: / Pregnancy diabetes screening should be 'performed earlier'Diet & Nutrition
Public Health on Demand: Issue 3 - Pulses and Health
Public Health on Demand (PHoD) is a bite-size ‘must-read’ service from the UK Health Forum (UKHF). The aim for these briefings is to provide those working in public health with a brief summary of a selected topical area covering the latest published peer-reviewed and grey literature resources. The subject topic will vary in each PHoD. This third issue looks at Pulses and Health.
Source: UK Health Forum
'Exercise labels' should be added to food packets, expert argues
"Food and drinks should carry labels showing how long it would take to walk or run off the calories, a leading health expert suggests," the Daily Mail reports.
Source: Behind the Headlines
Fruit may be good for you, but don’t ditch the statins
"Daily fresh fruit lowers heart death risk as much as statins," The Daily Telegraph reports.
Source: Behind the Headlines
Disabilities
No items this week
Drugs and Alcohol
An investigation of public knowledge of the link between alcohol and cancer
Almost 90 per cent of people in England don't associate drinking alcohol with an increased risk of cancer, according to a new report commissioned by Cancer Research UK. Drinking alcohol is linked to an increased risk of seven different cancers - liver, breast, bowel, mouth, throat, oesophageal (food pipe), laryngeal (voice box) - but when people were asked which, if any, health conditions do you think can result from drinking too much alcohol? just 13 per cent of adults mentioned cancer.
Source: UK Health Forum
Health Inequalities
No items this week
Long Term Conditions
No items this week
Medicines
New drug 'effective' for those with intolerable statin side effects
"A breakthrough drug can slash levels of bad cholesterol by half without the side effects of statins," the Daily Mail reports.
Source: Behind the Headlines
See also Diet & Nutrition section: / Fruit may be good for you, but don’t ditch the statinsSee also Child & Adolescent Health section: / Childhood Influenza Vaccination Pilot Programme, England 2014 To 2015: End Of Season Report
Mental Health
Youth mental health: New economic evidence
This report examines the economic challenges of youth mental health problems in England. The main focus is on adolescents and young adults. The report summarises findings from a review of the international evidence on the economic impact of youth mental health services, an analysis of the economic implications of youth mental health problems including the failure to recognise or treat them and an evaluation of two models of youth mental health service provision in England. We make a number of recommendations. This is the first study of the economic impact of youth mental health services in the UK.
Source: UK Health Forum
See also Cardiovascular Disease section: / 'Dying of heartache?' Heart problems linked to bereavementObesity
No items this week
Offender and Prison Health
No items this week
Older People
Ageing, transport choice and healthy living
This discussion paper from Insall & Coe aims to provoke discussion about the transport and travel choices we make as individuals, the wider physical, social and cultural environment within which we make them, and how these relate to older people's experience. It is a contribution to the Foresight 'Future of an ageing population' project.
Source: UK Health Forum
See also Commissioning section: / Dementia advisers surveySee also Older People section: / Young people caring for adults with dementia in England: Report on NCB's findings and internet research
Physical activity
Physical activity overview
For World Physical Activity Day NICE have put together an overview of NICE recommendations on physical activity.
Source: UK Health Forum
See also Diet & Nutrition section: / 'Exercise labels' should be added to food packets, expert arguesPrimary Care
Has Clinical Commissioning Found Its Voice? GP Perspectives On Their CCGs
This slide deck presents the fourth and final year of results from an annual survey of GPs and practice managers in six CCGs across the country. The survey - conducted as part a joint project with The King’s Fund - explores how GP attitudes towards clinical commissioning have evolved since their launch in 2013.The results show that over the past three years, CCGs have matured as organisations and clinical leaders are increasingly confident in their commissioning roles. However, only one fifth of GPs without a formal role in the CCG felt they could influence decisions - a substantial decrease in the last two years.
Source: Nuffield Trust/King’s Fund
Respiratory Conditions (including COPD)
No items this week
Safeguarding of vulnerable adults
No items this week
Sexual Health
No items this week
Smoking & Tobacco
No items this week
Social Care & Social Work
No items this week
Stroke
No items this week
Waiting Times
No items this week
Women’s Services
A public health prevention approach to domestic abuse: The Be a Lover not a Fighter campaign in Cheshire & Merseyside
Domestic abuse is a significant public health issue affecting 1:3 women and 1:6 men, having a major impact on those directly affected and their families and campaigns to tackle it have historically focused on victim support and crime reduction rather than prevention. Responding to the NICE Guidance PH50 Recommendations 2 and 5, local Public Health Directors delivered the Be a Lover not a Fighter campaign in February 2015 and February 2016 across areas in the North West to ‘participate in a local strategic multi-agency partnership to prevent domestic violence and abuse’ linking to partners from local authorities, NHS, domestic abuse services, police and others. A public health social marketing approach was developed to ‘create an environment for disclosing domestic violence and abuse’, complementing existing work by engaging the wider public in the debate, encouraging talking about the issue, highlighting the impact on children and generating public support for ending domestic abuse.
Source: NICE
Pregnancy diabetes screening should be 'performed earlier'
"Tests for diabetes in pregnancy– which affects the developing baby– are taking place too late," BBC News reports.
Source: Behind the Headlines
Updated Antenatal care
QS22
Source: NICE
Miscellaneous
Our 2016/17 business plan
This NHS England business plan sets out how NHS England will support commissioning and drive improvements in patient outcomes.
Source: UK Health Forum
The value and contribution of nursing to public health in the UK: Final report
During 2015 the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has undertaken a project to assess the value and contribution that nurses make to public health across the United Kingdom. The project was undertaken in three parts: a compilation of case studies, a web-based survey and in-depth interviews.